Sony YAY! continues to strengthen its lineup of homegrown animation with CID Squad, an action-packed new animated series inspired by the legacy of India’s iconic investigative franchise, CID.

Blending mystery, adventure, and light-hearted storytelling, CID Squad brings crime-solving to life in a way that’s both engaging and entertaining, making it a show for audiences across diverse age groups.

A production of YAY! Animations, CID Squad, aims to reaffirm the studio’s commitment to delivering high-quality animation with narratives that resonate globally.

Along with this show, and several others slated for release soon, the channel is taking a bold step forward in Indian animation, paving the way for a new era of storytelling.

Ensuring accessibility for families across India, CID Squad will be available in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Bangla, broadening its reach to a diverse and inclusive audience.

The animated show arrives amid renewed excitement for the legacy original, now streaming on Netflix.

Furthermore, this investment in homegrown animation with CID Squad aligns with the growing popularity of the genre among Indian viewers. A survey by JetSynthesys revealed that 83% of Indian respondents preferred anime over other forms of animated content. The top three anime series among Indian audiences were Naruto (favoured by 48%), Death Note (38%), and Attack on Titan (38%). Additionally, 84% of participants were willing to invest in anime merchandise, underscoring the strong demand for high-quality animated entertainment in India, as per the report.

CID Squad is set to launch on 17 March.

At the channel's exclusive screening of CID Squad, Manifest chatted with Ambesh Tiwari, business head – SPNI Kids and Animations, to discuss the marketing strategy behind the show, the brands investing in this new IP, and the vision driving Sony YAY!’s expansion in the animation space.

Edited excerpts:

As the new business head of SPNI’s kids and animation segment, taking over from Leena Lele Dutta, what’s your vision for this space?

There isn’t a particularly new vision. Leena has steered a wonderful ship, and my agenda is accelerating what has already been established. We have seen some growth in our channel viewership over the past couple of months, and we’re now focusing on launching a substantial amount of original IP as part of YAY! Animations — the first of which launched today with CID Squad. The idea is to evolve from being just a channel to becoming an animation powerhouse.

Which brand categories are heavily investing in the kid's GEC space?

There isn’t any particular category dominating, but we do see more FMCG brands advertising on the channel.

With regards to marketing, where does Sony Yay! see more leverage and how is the channel going about spends?

Over time, we have built a substantial audience who regularly tune into our channels, making in-house channel advertising a significant part of our strategy. For CID Squad, we have been running the promo extensively across Sony Pictures Networks. We also carry out a certain amount of promotions on YouTube.

What led to the creation of CID Squad? What gap does it fill in kids’ entertainment?

I believe this is more of an opportunity than a gap. Looking at the data from our channel, we see a significant number of adults tuning in - either watching on their own or with their family and children. We saw this as a clear opportunity to cater to a wider audience, which led to the creation of CID Squad.

Which brands or brand categories are associating themselves with this show?

PediaSure and Quick Heal have come on board. Quick Heal is an especially interesting partner, as it falls within the realm of cybersecurity - a theme that aligns seamlessly with our plot.

How does CID Squad align with Sony YAY!’s long-term content strategy?

As I mentioned, we already have some of the most popular characters. In Japanese anime, Naruto and Naruto Shippuden are household names. When it comes to pure-play children’s animation, we have Shin-chan, with the next season airing exclusively on Sony YAY! Our vision is to bring the biggest and most beloved characters to our channel — and what could be bigger than Pradyuman?

With OTT growing fast, how is Sony YAY! staying competitive and innovative in the kids’ space?

All our content is distributed across various OTT platforms, including Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, and Sony Liv. Our original programming is syndicated across these platforms, so wherever the viewer chooses to watch, they will find us. We also have a significant presence on YouTube with multiple dedicated channels. Whether one is a Netflix subscriber, a Prime Video user, or a YouTube viewer, we intend to be holistic and accessible, ensuring we are wherever our audience is.

Lastly, on a broader note, how do you see the kids’ entertainment landscape evolving in India?

One of the key trends we’re seeing is the significant rise of licensing and merchandising - that’s a major area of growth. Another important trend is the gaming sector, which has already gained substantial traction over the past few years, and I only see it expanding further. The story and content serve as an introduction to the IP, but it’s the other extensions that will gain even more prominence over time.